CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards

This award is sponsored jointly by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, a division of ProQuest Information and Learning.

The University of Cincinnati selects one student per category to nominate for the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Two awards are given annually in two of four different broad categories: Biological Sciences/Life Sciences; Humanities and Fine Arts; Social Sciences; and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering.

The Graduate College is accepting nominations for the CGS (Council of Graduate Schools)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award from programs, faculty, and students. The students chosen by the Graduate College selection committee to represent UC in the 2024 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award competition will each receive a $350 prize. Should either of the UC nominees win the national competition, the student will receive an award of $2,000, plus reasonable travel expenses to attend the CGS Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon on December 2024, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Graduate College may nominate one student from each category (Mathematics/Physical Sciences/Engineering category and Social Sciences category) to represent UC in the 2024 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award competition. We request that you submit to us your best students who have graduated between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024 (a two-year period). It is important to note that the nominated dissertations must be available in the ProQuest database.

• Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering: Mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, data processing, systems analysis, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, geology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, geophysics, pharmaceutical chemistry; aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering.
  
  
• Social Sciences: agricultural economics, geography, anthropology, archaeology, economics, education, sociology, government (political science), demography, and psychology.  Please note that for purposes of this competition, history is classed within the humanities and is not a field of competition this year.

The nomination application must include:

• An abstract of the nominee’s dissertation (not to exceed 5 double-spaced pages). Appendices containing other materials, such as charts, tables, and/or references, may be included as additional pages (not to exceed 5 pages). All pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee.
• Three letters of recommendation evaluating the significance and quality of the nominee’s dissertation work, are to be included in the nomination materials. One of these letters is to be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice.
• The nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed 5 pages).

Nomination applications for biological/life sciences and humanities/fine arts students are due to Megan Carroll in the Graduate College no later than 5 p.m., Friday, May 31, 2024. Please see the submission guidelines below for details. The two dissertations selected to represent UC in the national competition will be announced by June 21, 2024.

Based on feedback from previous selection committees, here are some tips for students and faculty preparing an application packet:

1. Both students and letter writers should keep in mind that they are writing for a general audience. These categories cover a broad range of programs and disciplines, so there is no guarantee that your material will be reviewed by someone from your specific field.
2. Both students and letter writers should make it abundantly clear what the impact of the student's dissertation work is within the field. Once again, keep in mind that your materials may be reviewed by someone outside your field. What may be obvious to you in terms of the work's impact may not be clear to the outside reviewer unless it is explicitly stated.
3. Consider the abstract to be a professional text and include the appropriate citations.
4. Provide a structure for this extended abstract, such as an introduction with an objective, the aims or goals of the work, results and future work. You do not need to use this exact structure, but composing the abstract with sections and headings is highly recommended.
5. While the abstract must be 5 pages or fewer of text, you are allowed to include additional information such as figures, tables, references and a brief CV. However, please make sure that all of these additional materials are necessary.
   

All nomination materials for biological/life sciences and humanities/fine arts students must be submitted electronically to Megan Carroll in the Graduate College. Submit all materials together (in the same email or in the same shared cloud storage folder) by 5 p.m., Friday, May 31, 2024. Incomplete and late submissions will be rejected, no exceptions.

Please direct any questions to Megan Carroll at carrolm2@ucmail.uc.edu.